Skip to main content
Back to Bills
FederalDid not become law (session ended)41st Parliament, 1st Session

Bill C-7 explained in plain English

An Act respecting the selection of senators and amending the Constitution Act, 1867 in respect of Senate term limits

Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.

Short answer

Bill C-7 amends the Constitution Act, 1867 to introduce term limits for senators, require provincial frameworks for senator selection, and set retirement ages.

At a glance

Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament
Legislature / Parliament
Parliament of Canada
Session
41st Parliament, 1st Session
Bill number
Bill C-7
Full title
An Act respecting the selection of senators and amending the Constitution Act, 1867 in respect of Senate term limits
Current status
Did not become law (session ended)
Latest event
At second reading in the House of Commons
Last updated
Feb 27, 2012
Sponsor

Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 41st Parliament, 1st Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.

Chamber
Parliament of Canada
Current Stage
At second reading in the House of Commons
Latest Activity
Feb 27, 2012
Sponsor
Plain-language explanation

AI-generated from official bill text; automatically checked and spot-reviewed.

AI-assisted
Short Version

Bill C-7 amends the Constitution Act, 1867 to introduce term limits for senators, require provincial frameworks for senator selection, and set retirement ages.

What It Means

Bill C-7, introduced in the 41st Parliament, proposes changes to the Constitution Act, 1867, to reform the Canadian Senate. The bill's main provisions include: (1) Establishing term limits for senators, (2) Requiring provinces to create frameworks for selecting senators, and (3) Setting retirement ages for senators.

What This Bill Does
  • Part 1: Requires provinces to establish frameworks for selecting senators, which may involve provincial legislatures or other bodies.
  • Part 2: Sets term limits for senators appointed after October 14, 2008, limiting them to a single nine-year term. If their term is interrupted (e.g., by resignation or death), they may be summoned again for the remaining time.
  • Senators must retire at age 75, regardless of term limits.
Who Is Affected
  • Senators appointed after October 14, 2008
  • Provincial governments responsible for establishing senator selection frameworks
  • The Canadian Senate as a whole
Uncertainties Or Limits
  • The bill does not specify how provinces will implement their selection frameworks.
  • The exact commencement date of the provisions is not provided in the text.
Laws Or Regulations Affected
Constitution Act, 1867
Amended by replacing specific sections with new provisions related to senator term limits, selection frameworks, and retirement ages.

The bill changes how senators are selected and limits their tenure to improve accountability and prevent long-term political entrenchment.

Constitution Act, 1982
Not directly affected by this bill.

This bill does not alter provisions related to constitutional amendment procedures or the Constitution Act, 1982.

Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. Coverage is limited to the official text extracted for this bill version.

Official text

Parliamentary Process

Step 1
First reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 2
Second reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 3
Third reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 1
First reading
Jun 21, 2011
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Introduction and first reading, Jun 21, 2011
End of stage activity, Jun 21, 2011
Chamber sittings
Introduction and first reading - Jun 21, 2011

We don't have a plain-language summary for Introduction and first reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 2
Second reading
Feb 27, 2012
Not completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Chamber sittings
Debate at second reading - Sep 30, 2011

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

We don't have a plain-language summary for Sponsor’s speech yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

We don't have a plain-language summary for Response speech yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

We don't have a plain-language summary for Response speech yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate at second reading - Oct 3, 2011

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate at second reading - Nov 14, 2011

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate at second reading - Nov 22, 2011

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate at second reading - Dec 7, 2011

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate at second reading - Dec 8, 2011

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate at second reading - Feb 27, 2012

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 3
Consideration in committee
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 4
Report stage
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 5
Third reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.

Vote Summary

No published recorded division

This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.

Sponsor
Tim Uppal
Conservative | Edmonton Gateway
Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament

No published representative vote breakdown

This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.

Official sources

This plain-English summary is based on official legislative sources and public records. It is intended for civic education and is not legal advice.

How this data is sourced